GOLF: Robert MacIntyre WDs from Valspar after strong week at The Players

After a “stressful” final round at The Players Championship on Sunday, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre has withdrawn from this week’s Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida.

The world No. 9 shot a 3-under-par 69 in the final round at TPC Sawgrass, finishing alone in fourth place at 10 under. He ended three shots behind champion Cameron Young.

MacIntyre’s bid for victory slipped away at the 16th hole, where his chip from the rough bounced in front of the green before rolling off the putting surface and into the water. It was one of two bogeys over his final five holes.

“No, it was stressful,” MacIntyre said. “I was actually struggling to eat early on the back nine. Last year was a big wake-up call for me, showing that I can really compete at the top level of world golf.” The Scot was the runner-up at the U.S. Open last year.

No official reason was given for his withdrawal. MacIntyre will be replaced by Andrew Putnam in the field.

PGA Tour rookie Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Canada and Keith Mitchell have also withdrawn from the tournament. They will be replaced by Kris Ventura and Doug Ghim, respectively. Yellamaraju tied for fifth at The Players, finishing 9 under, including a 4-under 68 in the final round.

The Valspar Championship features seven of the top-20 players in the world and is being held just outside the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. The field includes defending champion Viktor Hovland of Norway, as well as Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas. Schauffele finished third at The Players, while Thomas tied for eighth in only his second tournament since returning from back surgery.

—Field Level Media/Reuters